The morning after the night before
by miraline
Summary: Modern AU. Thanks to an unexpected delay in her travel plans and a series of coincidences too absurd to describe Marian finds herself in a sticky situation.
1. PROLOGUE

AN:

_**The Premise of This Story**_

**Who...**

Marian: A slightly neurotic, twenty-something, self-employed, London based photographer.

Robin: Famous athlete who won, not one but two, gold medals in Archery for Great Britain at the Beijing Olympics.

Plus a bunch of other people that for now remains nameless.

**Where..**

Onboard m.s. Princess Scandinavia, in the middle of the North Sea

**When..**

Takes place during a 48 hours cruise.

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**PROLOGUE**

_04.00 AM, 01-17-2002  
Onboard ms Princess of Scandinavia / Pacific Deck / Cabin 202_

"Will this miserable night ever end?" I grumbled to myself as I woke up for what seemed like the millionth time in less than an hour.

The ship rolled constantly and sleeping comfortable was just about impossible. However this time, I don't think it was the thunderstorm or the rough sea that had awaken me…No, this time it was the goosebumps forming on my upper arms that had caused me to stir.

Shivering from cold I huddled deeper under my blanket and with my eyes still shut I instinctively moved closer towards the warmer side of the bed...

"Wait a minute!" My eyes snapped open when realization hit me. Deep down, underneath the blankets, there was another body … pressing against mine!!

"Ohhh, that's right... My bed companion…" For a moment there I had totally forgotten about him... It took me a few seconds to adjust to the dim darkness around me. "Was that his arm I felt wrapped around my waist?!" I squinted, struggling to make out the details of the almost naked form next to me.

He was lying facedown on his stomach. His head was resting in the curve of my shoulder, his eyes were closed and his mouth was slightly open. The sensation of his warm breath against my skin was causing the hair on my neck to stand on end. But his exhales were slow and rhythmic which hopefully meant that he was still in deep sleep.

"Please let there be a way out of this..." I silently prayed as I carefully began to wriggle myself out from underneath his arm. BAD MOVE! Suddenly, without any warning, the man beside me began to stir. "Oh crap, he's waking up!" I thought as panic flooded through me..

But my worry was soon put to rest… Sure, he did make a discontented sigh and he did move around a bit, but I think he was merely shifting his body into a more comfortable position because other than that he showed absolutely no sign of rousing anytime soon.

Which would have been a good thing… Only now my chances of getting out off there had been reduced to pretty much non-existing. Because instead of escaping his embrace, I had somehow ended up even more trapped underneath his warm solid body. We were now as intimately tangled as two people can be with out being...uhem.. you know…

Sigh Let's just say that a change of tactics was clearly called for... Truth be told, I would rather chew of my arm than risk waking him up…. So that left me with only one option -to be patient and wait…Wait for him to roll off me, hopefully by himself and hopefully still asleep... .

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and tried my best to block out his presents…. Out of sight, out of mind… But of course that was not an easy task as I lay there in the dark cabin, listening to the mixture of his rhythmical breathing and the raging storm outside. I couldn't concentrate, instead I found my mind spinning in circles...

The absurdity of the situation was just too much… I mean this man, who was laying next to me, was practically a complete stranger so what the hell was I doing there… in his company…in his cabin… in his bed?

Ohh, and I know what you all are thinking, but NO he is not some nameless guy I picked up in a bar. This has nothing to do with sex. He is NOT my lover and he never will be because I don't even like him. But still, he is the reason why I ended up in this mess… Ok, I can see I have some explaining to do…

So, where do I begin… I guess you could say I'm a girl on a mission, well that's how it all started anyway. But believe me, getting in his pants has never been part of the plan. Although he looks kind of cute when he's a sleep….

But let's not get side-tracked here… He may look sweet and innocent right now but when he is awake he's stuck up, self absorbed, loud and obnoxious. Basically, he's a diva and a flirt and definitely not my type. Actually DIVA is a description that is pretty close to the truth… It so happens that the man laying next to me is famous, a real celebrity, he is Robin Locksley.

Ok, so if that name doesn't ring a bell his achievements as an athlete surely ought to. I guess you're more likely to recognize him if I tell you that he is the mixed martial arts champion that won, not one but two, gold medals in Archery for Great Britain at the Beijing Olympics. I'm not completely sure what the champion is doing here in Scandinavia right now though, but I guess it must have something to do with his train-...

What was that?! A sudden noise made me jump. I froze for a second but released my breath in relief when I realized where the sound came from. There it was again, another loud snore that sounded like a jet flying by... Apparently the medallist himself thought it was time to remind me of his presence. Geez, even in his sleep he has a need to be the absolute center of attention…

Now, where was I?? Oh yeah, Robin and his medals… Hmm, I hope I don't strike as the type of girl that spend every waken hour obsessing over some famous athlete… Cuz I'm not. I'm not even into sports that much. The only reason I recognized him in the first place is because my thirteen-year-old sister is crazy about him. She has pictures of him posted all over her bedroom walls.

OK, I must admit, those pictures of hers don't do him justice. He is actually quite a looker. I mean if you like the type... He is average height, nicely built and definitely in good physical condition. I'm not sure about his age but he looks like he is in his mid twenties. He has dark blond, somewhat curly hair, deep blue eyes and of course a killer smile. In my opinion it's that cheeky grin of his that gives him away as being both overly confident and cocky. But sure he IS good looking there is no denying that.

And there is nothing wrong with his achievements either for that matter. It's not like I don't appreciate the skill, talent and practice involved in the sport of archery. I guess it's more his attitude and the size of his ego I can't stand…. Not to mention all the other annoying crap that seems to come along with being a Olympic medallist; instant stardom, endorsements deals, tv appearances… and so on….

He's got a wicked grin and an attitude to match, that's for sure. But, okay, maybe I'm being just a tad bit unfair here, considering I hardly know the guy...

Besides, none of this explains HOW and WHY I ended up in his bed in the first place. So I think I might need to rewind a little and start this story from the beginning.

Shifting uncomfortable in the bed I closed my eyes and let the memories of the previous day wash over me…


	2. Collision with fate

**_-_Collision with fate-**  
_And so the flashback begins…_

It all started earlier this morning (or should I say yesterday morning, since it must be way past midnight by now?!)... Anyway it was bright and early and m.s Princess of Scandinavia, the cruise ship that would take me from Oslo to London had just recently left the port.

After boarding I dropped my luggage off in my cabin and set out to explore the open deck areas of the ship. I wanted to use the daylight hours for some heavy photo shooting.

You see, I make my living as a photographer, specialized on portraits and wildlife, with hopes of one day becoming a war/conflict zone photographer. My business card reads: "Marian Kate Fizwalter. Photographer. Satisfaction Assured. "Your smile makes my job worthwhile." OK, a bit lame, I know… But I absolutely love my job, how many people can say that?!

I have my own studio at home and I work on freelance basis for various magazines and newspapers. It's a lot of hard work, the hours are insane and the pay is an insult. But I enjoy the freedom of being able to choose my own clients. Portraits are my main area of concentration but I like to think that I'm competent enough to grab just about any photo job that comes my way. And I looove to travel… So every once in a while I try to find assignments that will take me to places I have never been to before.

And that's exactly how I ended up on this cruise ship in the first place. I had just spent a very cold week in Norway shooting northern seabirds and was now on my way home. I would have preferred to travel by air but an air traffic controller's strike cancelled and delayed all flights out of the country. So this little "boat trip" seamed to be the only way for me to make it back home in time for my sisters 14th birthday, at the end of this week…

Ok, enough details already, let's get back to the story shall we?! So, like I said, I was walking down a narrow hallway on my way to the promenade deck. And I was, as usual, lost in thought. Without really paying attention to where I was going I rounded a corner and suddenly…. Bang! I smacked heads with someone.

"Ouch!" Losing my balance I stumbled and fell backwards. Just as I was about to hit the ground, strong arms reached out and caught me.

"Ow! Watch where you're going, will ya'" My rescuer snapped at me as he steadied me back on my feet.

Still dazed, I looked up at the slightly irritated man in front of me. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't really place him. He was a bit taller than me and he was wearing black shiny jeans, a tight fitting white sweater and sunglasses. I was just about to start apologizing for my clumsiness, when he removed his shades and revealed a very recognizable set of blue eyes, framed by long lashes.

The apologies got stuck on my tongue and I felt how my jaw dropped. I blinked once, twice, three times… Nope, he was still there.

"This can't be who I think it is…" I thought confused. No, I decided. It can't be him, I mean what on earth would he be doing here? I was beginning to feel very stupid….He caught me staring and grinned at me.

"You can close your mouth now, you don't want to catch any flies." He chuckled, enjoying my confusion.

"Sht!" I felt my face turn crimson. I wanted badly to make a scathing retort but found myself at a loss for words. . Hello? Where had my voice disappeared to? Not to mention my personality... I was suddenly (and very uncharacteristically) struck dumb.

While I was still struggling to come up with anything coherent to fling at him, he lost his patience and cut me off.

"You know what, that blush looks good on you... but before you start to stutter, could you please take a step backward. You're crushing my foot!"

Groaning inwardly, I looked down only to notice that I was indeed standing on his sneaker-clad toes. "Sorry." I mumbled and quickly backed away.

"It's okay honey, don't sweat it... It was nice … uhm… running in to you and all but I gotta go. Next time watch your steps, OK?!" I can almost swear that he winked at me before he put his shades back on and began walking away. Before I realized what had just happened he was already half way down the hall heading for the stairs...laughing his head off….at ME!

Who does this guy think he is?… And more important what the hell was wrong with me?! Not only did I let him catch me staring at him like some obsessed teenybopper, I let him get away with making fun of me too.. ugh. It was not like me to get tongue-tied around guys like that, not even if they happen to be attractive or famous...

At that point my thought process was interrupted by a commotion coming from the direction of the stairs. I was pretty sure I already knew what must have caused the sudden outburst of hysterical giggles, but I couldn't help looking over my shoulder anyway. Apparently a couple of girls, who looked to be about ten or eleven, had spotted my "rescuer" and was now eagerly trying to get his attention. I was almost expecting him to make a run for it but I must admit he took it rather well. To my surprise, he just kept on smiling and willingly posed for pictures with each of the girls.

Three autographs and a couple of friendly hugs later Mr. Gold Medallist was finally able to get going again, leaving a bunch of starstruck girls behind. Including me, I'm afraid.

"Hello, earth to Marian!!" I rolled my eyes as I snapped out of my trance-like state. Gosh, I'm almost as pathetic as my sister. The thought of my only sibling made me feel a sting of bad conscience. God, she worships that guy and would give anything to meet him!

For a moment there I played with the idea of running after him. You know, to mob him for an autograph or something, because that would have been such a perfect birthday gift for my sister. But in the end I decided against it. The very idea of facing him again made me cringe. I could already tell he was one of those guys who thought he was God's gift to the world, and I truly hated that type.

As I stood there and watched him disappear down the stairs, another much better idea began to take shape in my mind. I was pretty sure my sister would love to get her hands on some really juicy pictures of her favorite celebrity Now, why the hell didn't I think of that sooner? After all, I am a photographer specialized in portraits, right?! All I had to do was to secretly snap a couple of photos of him.

A devious smile curved my lips. The Gold Medallist himself would probably not be too happy if he knew what I was up to, but who cared about him? This could be fun. Things were definitely looking up…


	3. Creeping up on you

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AN:

My-Little-Emmilette:

I usually prefer third person too, but I just felt like first person for some reason with this story. ..only three chapters in and this story already has a life of it's own.. .

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**-Creeping up on you-**  
_Later_

Ok, so now you know about my little stalking mission. You probably think I'm nuts for doing something like that and the more I try to explain it, the more nuts I'll sound. But I feel like I have to clear up a few things here before I go on. Let me put it this way, my sister is one of the most important people in my life. Hell, she is the most important…. I love her and I would do just about anything to make her happy, especially now when her health had taken a turn for the worse…again... Ugh, I don't even wanna think about that right now…

Let's just say I had very good reasons for why I was so determined on making this her best birthday ever. But by the time I had worked out a full-fledged plan on how to accomplish that, the man I was supposed to keep an eye on had already disappeared completely out of sight.

"Get a grip Marian! Can't afford wasting valuable time staring at an empty hallway." I mentally scolded myself as I quickly bent down to pick up the various objects I had dropped in the collision. But my hasty movements slowed down a little as I noticed that there was a man's wallet lying on the floor next to my padded camera bag.

"Oh don't even tell me that airhead dropped his wallet." I muttered as I bent down and picked it up. A quick peek at the driver's license inside it confirmed my suspicions.

I stood there for a moment debating on what to do. Part of me wished I could just take whatever cash I could find and split or at least leave the darn thing on the floor and pretend I never found it, but my conscience would never allow that. Sigh, sometimes I think I'm way to well mannered for my own good.

In the end the solution to my dilemma turned out to be quite simple. All I had to do was to take the wallet with me and drop it off at the reception desk at the entrance deck. But thanks to that little extra trip I had to go through more than 40 minutes of frantic searching before I finally caught up with my sisters favorite athlete again.

This time he was in the spa section of the ship… soaking in a Jacuzzi... By the looks of things he was having a great time, relaxing with his right arm casually wrapped around the shoulder of the person next to him. Who just so happened to be a female, good looking of course; dark hair, olive skin and brown eyes….

"Robin Locksley - God's gift to women! Ugh, yeah right!!" I groaned to myself as I scanned the place looking for a clever hiding place. The hole spa area appeared to be an oasis of luxury decorated in tropical style, with features such as Jacuzzi, indoor pool, steam room, sauna and of course massage equipment. Within a few seconds I found exactly what I was looking for, an empty reclining chair, strategically placed behind some huge fern plants in a remote corner of the room. It was time for me to put that brilliant plan of mine to work...

I sat down and started unpacking my beloved camera bag, in which I had stuffed enough camera equipment to make any paparazzi jealous. With experienced hands I quickly selected my favorite tele lens and screwed it to the camera body. When everything was set, I peeked the trough the fern fronds, placed my itchy finger on the trigger and began my little secret photo session.

I had shot about twenty something pictures when my subject, the wet athlete in the Jacuzzi, suddenly started moving out of focus. Without any further notice he hauled himself up and out of the water, giving me a pretty spectacular view of his Speedo-clad ass in the process.

I was so engrossed in the sight that I almost forgot about my "mission". Key phrase: ALMOST. I couldn't afford to let an opportunity like this to pass me by just because a certain someone filled out his skimpy Speedo swim trunks nicely. That only meant he was blessed with an interesting body to go along with his obnoxiousness, nothing else…. At least that's what I tried to convince myself as I turned my attention back to my camera in an attempt to take control over the situation again.

Snap, click, snap, click, snap, click….

"My sister is so gonna owe me big time for this." I decided as my camera went into overdrive.

What can I say, the camera loved him at first sight. He was charismatic almost to the point of absurdity, with his big dramatic gestures and exaggerated facial expressions. There was just something about the way he carried himself that made him extremely photogenic.

Like all good things, it all came to an end way too quickly. As soon as he had said his good-byes to the dark haired woman in the pool he grabbed a towel and disappeared in to the men's changing room. But those few intense minutes was enough for me to acquire a taste for this whole stalking business… So when he half an hour later, fully clothed, stepped out of the changing room again, I made the decision to keep spying on him. Yeah, yeah, horrible thing to do, but hell, I couldn't resist.

So for the next couple of hours, I secretly followed him around the ship. And watched him, patiently, as he took a nice long walk on the promenade deck, paid a visit to the shopping area, had lunch at "The Sea View Café" and lost a good amount of money in the casino. He was never alone, the woman from the spa always seemed to be around. I was expecting a bodyguard to be following him as well but if one did, he was very discreet because I never saw him.

I did my best to blend in and avoid calling unwanted attention to myself. It seemed almost too easy. He must have spotted me a few times but I think he remained completely unaware of my camera. In spite of my hostile feelings towards him and his gigantic ego, I must say that I was thoroughly enjoying myself. This was much more exciting than watching Norwegian seabirds and it truly kept me spell bound for hours.

The time just flew by and before I knew it, it was late afternoon and I had ran out of natural light to work with. I couldn't use a flash or any other kind of artificial lighting because that would have blown my cover. So instead I decided to head back to my cabin and set up a temporary darkroom. I was eager to start developing the pictures I had taken this far.


	4. Development

**-Development-**  
_18.00 PM_

I capture my images both on film and digitally because as old fashioned as it may sound I quite enjoy developing my own photographs in my own darkroom. Have you ever been in a darkroom?! First of all the room must be lighttight. Boy, was I glad I had been given an inside cabin with no windows. This way I could easily eliminate all light leaks with some black tape. I also had to changed the existing light bulb in the cabin ceiling to one of those red 15-watt safelight bulbs.

Next step in my preparation was to line up all the necessary equipment in the bathroom. Which by the way definitely was a little on the small side. I placed my portable enlarger on the toilet seat and squeezed in the trays with chemicals on the floor and the rest of the stuff, digital timer, film tanks, film reel and scissors, on the shelf above the sink.

When everything was set up it was finally time to turn off the light and get started. The whole darkroom procedure is very time consuming. First you have to make negatives out of the exposed film and then you have to enlarge the negatives onto glossy photo papers. I don't want to bore you with details, so lets just say it's complicated and it requires a lot of patience…

In this case I guess the final result is far more interesting…. Well, the lighting could have been better, and to be honest it wasn't the most artistic work I have ever done with my camera... But still, most of the photos turned out reasonably well, if I may say so myself. And I was pretty sure that my sister would be pleased with what I had accomplished.

After I had examined the pictures carefully one final time I spread them to dry on the floor and started working on returning the cabin to its original state, a task I couldn't get over with fast enough. It felt like I had spent an eternity stuck in that tiny bathroom already. I was pretty sure there were loads of more exciting things to do on a cruise ship of that size. Besides there are some pretty nasty chemicals involved in the film developing process and you can get quite a headache if you're not careful, so it was definitely time for a change of scenery.

"Keys, wallet, camera..." I glanced around the room once more as I went through the checklist in my mind and then headed for the door.

On my way out, I caught a glance of myself in the mirror and made a face at the pale-skinned girl that stared back at me. I didn't wear even a hint of make up, there were big dark circles under my tired blue eyes and my hair was, as usual, in an organized disarray.

Tired, overworked and stressed out. Let's just say I had waaay to many problems hanging over my head... The last six months had been hellish for me. Sure my professional life was finally where I wanted it to be, but my personal life was a mess. There had been a failure of a longtime relationship and then there was my sister's illness and last but not the least, the ever present threat of bankruptcy due to growing unpaid hospital bills…

But this was neither the time nor the place to get all depressed thinking about it. This cruise ship was probably exactly what I needed; a chance to escape my problems and put all my worries aside for a while. The least I could do was to give it a try... Sighing softly, I brushed my fingers through my hair and tied it in a ponytail in a silly attempt to look at least half-decent before I left.

It was with a slightly more optimistic attitude I closed the door behind me and made my way down the empty hallway. And when I ten minutes later pushed through the wall of loud music and slowly entered, the Pirates Cove (the bar on 6th deck) I actually had a smile on my face. I couldn't help myself...Apparently it was Kareoke night and well, let's just say that the poor guy currently behind the microphone was having some problems with the high notes...

" Ooookay, I need a drink..." I thought to myself as I barely resisted the urge to cover my ears. Directly across from the entrance there was a huge bar counter trimmed with neon green lighting. I went up to the bartender and ordered a "Lennart" (Pear Cognac mixed with sprite or 7up, don't ask LOL).

I scanned the place as I climbed up on a bar stool. On my right side was a huge dance floor and on my left and extending to the long ends of the bar were a large number of booths. The interior was dark and noisy, but not very crowded, probably because of the rough sea.

Ever since we had left port the weather had been getting rougher. The ship had been reasonable stable during the day, but a small storm had blown up during the afternoon and the ship was now being tossed about the ocean making many of the passengers seasick. Even some of the crew was a little queasy … This didn't bother me much, though. Fortunately, I seemed to be immune to seasickness.

Two hours and a few drinks later I was still mingling in the bar. Thankfully the amateur singers were long gone. A DJ had been spinning the tunes for a good hour now. The strobe lights were flashing and the music was pounding.  
Whenever a really good song came on I would occasionally hit the dance floor. But most of my evening was spent on the "sideline" observing the swaying crowd. For some reason I have always enjoyed watching people, an occupational habit I guess…

So anyway I was sipping on my drink and tapping my hand on the counter to the beat of the music when a sudden outburst of laughter caught my attention. Above the loud mixture of sounds, one voice stood out, that of the male with the cocky British accent. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who that was. I set my glass down and turned around, only to find a certain brown haired athlete sitting in a crowded booth on the opposite side of the bar.

He must have felt me staring, because after a few seconds he turned around and looked directly at me. His face, slightly flushed from whatever he was drinking, showed absolutely no hint of recognition but I still felt a bit uneasy. I squirmed on the bar stool and nervously fingered the leather strap to the camera bag I still carried over my shoulder. I never go anywhere without bringing at least one of my cameras, yet another strange habit I can't seem to break. Sigh.

Robin however must have misread my anxiety for something else because he raised an eyebrow at me and grinned lasciviously. A slight smile was curving his full lips, clearly he was sure that no female could withstand his charm. Boy, was he wrong…

I barely resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him in a childish taunt. Instead I gave him an evil look that suggested he better not try anything funny with me. It seamed to work because he shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to his loud friends.

Smiling to myself I returned to my drink. A quick glance at the clock on the wall behind the bartender told me that it was getting late. I was beginning to grow tiresome of the bar scene so I decided to go check out the "Midnight buffet" and then head for my bunk. Gee, I'm such a party animal aren't I?!

Anyway I was just about to pay my tab and leave when I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, put your money away, next drink is on me. That's the least I can do, I mean you are the girl who found my wallet, aren't you?"

I literally jumped out of my skin. Simultaneously, my heart rate shot up, the last gulp of my drink went down the wrong way and my camera bag fell from my shoulder and landed on the floor with a thud.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, are you alright?"

Coughing I tried to regain my composure. "Whoa, what the-- How did you--I mean you shouldn't--ugh!"

"You probably want to pick one sentence and go with it…"He offered with another one of those annoying smirks on his face.

"Oh, I'm Robin Locksley, the by the way… but something tells me you already figured that out. " He added with wry chuckle and extended his hand for me to shake.

"Uhm, yeah, the contents of your wallet kind of gave that away. I said and quickly pulled my hand away from his. Something about touching him got to me in a way I could not explain...

"You're that Archery medallist, right?!"

"Yeah, that's me." He nodded. "What about you? Are you going to tell me your name, or do I have to guess?"

"Sorry… I'm Marian. But how did you know it was me wh-…"

"Who found the wallet?" He said cutting me off mid sentence. "You fit the description I got at the reception desk. They wouldn't give me your name but they told me what you looked like. So I figured it must have been the girl I ran into earlier," he explained as he pulled up a barstool next to me.

"So tell me did you find anything interesting?" He asked as he sat down and made himself comfortable.

"Huh?" Still lost in thought I stared at him blankly, not quite sure what he was on about.

"Uhm, in this I mean..." He quickly added and patted the wallet sticking out of the back pocket of his jeans.

"Ooh, no, not really….Hey, I didn't steal anything if that's what you are implying and I didn't find anything worth blackmailing you over either, so why don't you just relax…"

"Phew that's a relief." Robin laughed and pretended to wipe his forehead. "Seriously though, it wasn't an accusation and I didn't mean to sound ungrateful or anything… I'm really glad I got it back, with everything still inside and all. It was really nice of you to return it. Thank you!" He paused and made a quick bow before he continued. "But I have a favor to ask… Whatever information you might have stumbled across when you looked through my wallet, interesting or not, is personal and I don't want it to end up in the papers or on the internet or anything. So, could you please keep it to yourself. "

"Don't worry Robin, Your secrets are safe with me. I mean I can totally understand why you don't want people to know about all those condoms you carry around with you. Glow-n-dark AND strawberry flavored, that's wicked… And the size, extra large…hmm… impressive…." I winked, and got the pleasure of seeing him blush.

"Heh, those are birthday gifts from a uhm close friend…Not that that's any of your business…. Actually, I was thinking more in the line of information like my address and phone number and stuff like that you know…"

"Yeah, I know. I was just playing with ya! Lovely shade of red there Robin. It becomes you!" I teased with a smile.

"Ha, haa, very funny… I suppose I deserved that, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did. You had it coming big time." I nodded with a smirk. "Maybe we should call it a quits now that we are even. This little conversation was… uhm… interesting and all but I need to get going and you should probably return to your friends before they send out a search party for you…. " I suggested and slid off the barstool.

"Okay, I can take a hint. I just wanted to come over here and thank you in person. But I can tell that you have other plans so I'll just leave you to it…" He said as he followed suit and got to his feet as well. " Have a nice evening!" He added and winked at me before he swirled around and quickly took off through the semi crowded bar.

Talk about hasty retreat! But at least this time I got the last laugh… I gazed after his disappearing figure with an amused smile on my face, feeling fairly certain that this was the very last I would see of Robin Locksley…

Of course, I soon found out I couldn't have been more wrong! Let's just say that fate had other plans...


	5. Turbulent Waters

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AN:If silence is golden then feedback is platinum_._

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**-Turbulent Waters-**

_01.00 AM_

After attending the Midnight buffet I somehow ended up wandering aimlessly around the ship. It was really late, or early, depending on how you look at it. Not too many of the passengers were up and about at this hour. The rough weather hadn't improved at all. The waves were frequent and strong, making every single step a struggle. But after all the delicious food I had feasted upon I figured I could use the extra exercise….

Ok, the truth -The only reason I was still awake was because I was having some difficulties finding my way back to the right cabin…. I swear, all the hallways looked the same and my weakness for pear cognac wasn't helping my sense of direction either…

After a good half an hour of searching I finally decided I was lost and began to look for someone to ask for directions… And that's when I bumped in to my athlete friend again… Well, not literally this time… I don't think he even noticed me because I was facing the wall, studying a giant map over the ship, when he walked by.

I caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye. Suddenly I felt wide-awake and super alert again. My original plan (to find my bunk and get some sleep) was soon forgotten… Sleep was definitely the last thing on my mind. Not only did Robin appear to be on his own for a change but his wobbly legs and irregular walking pattern also indicated that he was more than a little inebriated.

My mind immediately started racing…. A celebrity drunk in public, was a temptation the photographer in me could not resist. I waited one… two… three…. seconds before I got on my feet and took off after him. Grabbing a better hold of my camera bag, I followed him as he slowly padded down the hallway.

At one point he slowed down and glanced over his shoulder as if he knew he was being watched. With quickening pulse (and silent prayers) I leaped back and hid behind an open door. I waited in agony but nothing happened. Several seconds passed and I was just about to go into full fledge panic mode when the sound of echoing footsteps finally reappeared. He was walking again, much slower than before, but he was definitely moving down the hallway again.

Sighing in relief I made a mental note to be more careful in the future. "Phew, that was close" I thought to myself as I took up the chase again. Little did I know that this was only the beginning…

I was in for a big surprise as I moments later rounded yet another corner of the seemingly endless maze of hallways. The unexpected sight that met me was enough to make me pull up in shock. Something was blocking my way… Something BIG. ...

A feeling of dejavu swept over me as I realized that I was once again face to face with Mr.Gold Medallist. Only this time there was no collusion… This time he was leaning against the wall waiting for me. And his tense yet nonchalant appearance gave me reason to believe that he already knew someone had been spying on him.

As to confirm my suspicions he cleared his throat and began to speak. "Well, well, well…Fancy meeting you here. Are you by any chance stalking me?" His voice was steady and controlled and suddenly he didn't seem all that drunk anymore. In fact he seemed very focused and very alert, almost like a predator waiting for it's prey… Ouch…

"What?? Are you talking to me?" I choked in reply, knowing all too well that he was. He answered by rolling his eyes at me. Ok, so maybe that wasn't the smartest thing to say when there where no one else in sight but I needed to buy some time. Because if he figured out the truth, that I indeed had been stalking him (all day long, with a camera) he'd be pissed to say the least.

I needed a good excuse and I needed it fast...

"Look, don't flatter you're self, okay!? I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about." I said and discretely slung my camera behind my back, hoping he wouldn't notice it.

"The only reason I'm here is because my cabin is right over there." I lied and I pointed at one of the doors further down the hallway. Unfortunately I don't think he bought that story for a second though, because he just laughed derisively at me…

"How coincidental…so is mine!" He grinned and held out a key-card in front of me. Go figure, the number on the door I had been gesturing at and the number on his key card matched! Of all the hundreds of cabin doors on this ship, I had to pick his... Why I was surprised by this I do not know. I mean, luck has never exactly been kind to me.

"I don't know what you're up to Marian and quite frankly I don't think I want to know…. Just tell me one thing though… -Why are you doing this? I mean you don't even seem to like me." Robin said, eyeing me with sudden suspicion.

"Why I'm doing this? That's a really good question." I stalled, nervously biting my lip. Telling him the whole truth was out of the question. But if I stayed as close to the truth as possible then maybe, just maybe he would buy it…RIGHT?! I decided it was worth a shot and started telling him about my sister and her upcoming birthday and how a pho-… err, an autograph from him would make the perfect gift.

I began my little ramble of excuses with every intent on finishing it, but my words evaporated the moment I realized that he wasn't listening to me anymore. I had a feeling his short attention span had something to do with his pale face. All color had drained from him and he looked like he was about to faint or something. Swaying on his feet he reached blindly for the first support he could find… -My shoulder. Seconds later he doubled over, clenching his stomach, acting as if he was about to puke his beer all over the place.

I frowned, puzzled by his behavior. Then I had a sudden flash of comprehension. His wobbly legs and pale look wasn't just a result of his alcohol consumption… He was seasick. That would explain why his face was turning greener and greener with every movement the ship made. And by the looks of things it was just a matter of time before his stomach would be rolling worse than the sea.

"Oh gawd, I don't feel so good." he groaned and put the back of his hand to his mouth as the urge to vomit threatened to overwhelm him.

"Oh no, not on me you don't" I said, instinctively taking a step back. But the minute I moved away, his legs started wobbling again. Luckily my reflexes were fast enough to steady him before he went down onto his knees. He clung to me like a drowning man grasping for a lifeline. Wrapping my arm around his waist, I slowly began walking him to his cabin.

He wasn't able to co-operate much at that point so I ended up practically dragging him across the hallway. It was like maneuvering around with a rag doll, a very heavy rag doll, but somehow we eventually, after what seamed like an eternity, reached his door.

Digging through his pockets for the key card with one hand and keeping him propped up against the wall with another was not an easy task either as you can imagine. When I finally managed to get the door unlocked, I had to hold it open with my foot so that I could use my free hand to search for the light switch.. We are talking balance skills on a high level here. What a sight it must have been…

Anyway the moment the light came on Robin jerked out of my grip and made a dash for the bathroom. Apparently he was quickly losing the battle with his stomach because seconds later I heard him emptying the contents of his stomach into the toilet bowl in a violent, gushing vomit.

There was a long pause of awkward silence and then I heard the sound of the toilet being flushed. I took a few steps into the room and hesitantly peered through the crack of the bathroom door, just to find him kneeling on the floor with his head resting against the porcelain of the toilet tank. I watched him for a moment, nervous, uncertain what to do. I was pretty sure he didn't really want me, a complete stranger, around when he was sick but on the other hand I couldn't just leave without first making sure that he was all right.

I cleared my throat to get his attention. "You okay? Need help?" He jerked his head up and glared at me, eyes squinting in the fluorescent lighting.

"Do I look okay to you?" Came the gruff reply. I laughed quietly at my stupidity.

"Sorry, you're right that was a dumb question…. Here, let me help you…" I quickly entered the bathroom, picked up a plastic cup by the sink and ran some water into it. Once it was filled I handed it to Robin.

"Thanks." He whispered weakly before taking a few sips of the liquid. His stomach gurgled like bad plumbing, but decided not to reject the water that was offered. Sighing with relief, he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.

"Just let me know if there is there anything else I can do for you, okay?" I said as I reached over him to turn off the faucet.

"Ehmm, no, I think I'm just gonna stay in here for awhile…" Drawing himself up a little straighter, he added weakly, "You don't have to stick around, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? I asked, trying my best to hide the relief I felt." He merely nodded halfheartedly in reply, but that was all it took to convince me. I couldn't get out of there fast enough…

"Okay then, take care of yourself Robin…Bye, Bye…" I said and attempted a sympathetic smile before I quickly turned around and walked out of there. And that could have been the end of this story but I should have known my conscience wouldn't let me off that easily… I mean leaving the poor man collapsed on the bathroom floor, what was I thinking…


	6. Good Samaritan

AN: Sorry about the delay! Here is more of seasick Robin for your reading pleasure, enjoy! Thanx for the reviews!

* * *

**-Good Samaritan-**  
02.30 AM

I made it into my own bunk by 02.30, (yes, I eventually found someone that could point me in the right direction) and quickly lapsed into bed. But my slumber was restless and it didn't take long before I was wide-awake again…. I couldn't tune out the storm raging outside… and I couldn't tune out that annoying inner voice of mine that kept on bugging me… .

I shouldn't have left things with Robin the way I had. Something was wrong I just knew it… After 30 minutes of staring at the ceiling I gave up. Finally accepting that sleep was impossible, I got out of bed, threw some clothes on and left to go check on him.

"This is insane, Marian. You don't know him well enough to worry about him. You don't even like him. Just turn around and go back to bed. NOW!" I repeated to myself over and over again but it wasn't working, before I knew it, I had found my way back to the place where I had last seen the seasick athlete.

I knocked on the door, once, twice, three times and waited… No answer... I knocked again, still nothing. I placed my hand on the door handle to see if just maybe it was unlocked. To my surprise the door immediately swung open and banged against the inner wall.

I stepped inside and looked around the semi dark cabin, which at first appeared to be empty. But then I caught a glimpse of Robin and what I saw made me concerned. There he was, still in the bathroom, curled up in a fetal position on the floor. He was pale and shivering and certainly not looking like much of a champion.

This time I crossed the threshold into the bathroom with no hesitation at all. I tried to think of something appropriate to say as I knelt down next to him, but nothing seemed fitting. So instead I reached out and ran my hand up and down his shoulder just to make sure he knew I was there.

He flinched, and his eyes flew open. Embarrassment stopped him from looking directly at me. But I could tell that there were tears stinging his eyes as his body started shaking with new convulsions.

I saw him struggle to get up and I helped him to a sitting position. Not knowing what else to do, I silently moved closer and began rubbing his back softly, comforting him like a child. We sat like that for a good while, side by side in the quiet darkness of the bathroom.

I tried to talk to him but I didn't get much response. He merely stared distantly at some imaginary spot on the wall across the room and absent-mindedly rocked himself back and forth. But eventually he calmed down a bit and the shudders subsided only to be replaced by other more restless movements.

We had been sitting on that floor for ages now and staying in the same position for a long time keeps your blood from circulating. The result? Discomfort and pain... Believe me I was just as eager as he was to get out of that smelly bathroom. First thing first though…

I slowly got up and wetted a thin, rough towel with some warm water and then gently began to wipe his hands and his face off. The experience of helping him blowing his nose left me with a sudden scary vision what parenthood must feel like. But I quickly shrugged it off and went ahead with the task of getting his teeth brushed. Robin didn't say much during this whole event. He just nodded his head slightly every now and then stared at me with tired watery eyes.

Once he was all cleaned up I managed to pull him up to his feet. Weak and shaking, he let me strip off his boots and his clothes, until he was left with nothing but his boxers. Ok I confess my eyes might have lingered over the muscles of his abdomen just a bit longer than they should have as I maneuvered him over to the king-sized bed in the other room but hey I'm only human….

As I helped him settle down between the sheets, I found myself once again struggling with the decision of staying or leaving. But deep down, I knew I didn't really have much of a choice this time. With all the bad luck I had been having lately, he'd probably get sick again and die choking on his own vomits, if I left him unsupervised. Besides, it's not like I didn't know how to deal with sick people. This was a situation I was all too familiar with. God knows I have had spent way too many hours in hospital with my sister trough out the years.

Once my mind was made up there was no more hesitation. Slipping out of my oversized sweater and baggy jeans I grabbed a pillow and curled up in the empty side of the bed. Closing my eyes I made myself comfortable for the night and let the howling winds and turbulent waters to rock me to sleep...

And that is pretty much it, that's how I ended up in bed with Britains latest archery sensation, Robin Locksley. But of course the story doesn't end here…


	7. Sleeping Beauty

AN:

Ok, this is were the story gets a little bit naughty...

I just want to say a special thank-you to my loyal reviewers. There are some of you who have reviewed every chapter and your feedback really means a lot. I'm about half way through the story but I hope it will move faster from this point on. So, without further ado, I bring you some much anticipated smut. At least, it was anticipated by me :) I hope it doesn't disappoint.

* * *

**-Sleeping Beauty-**  
_Back to present... No more flashbacks_

Sleep had come, yes, but it had been a restless sleep, to say the least. The storm outside had eventually calmed down a little but the weather conditions were still rough enough to bounce us around on the sea, like a cork in a Jacuzzi.

So far most of my night had been filled with lots of tossing and turning, sighing and grumbling and of course plenty of deep unwanted thoughts to wrestle with. No, scratch that last part. My mind had indeed been busy, but my thoughts at the moment were probably better described as confused than deep. Sigh.

Let's just say that the unmovable, snoring mass tangled in the bed sheets next to me (correction; slightly above me), wasn't helping my sleep much. His strong solid body was still very close to mine, still successfully pinning me to the mattress. I could feel his body heat practically radiating in palpable waves from every point where our bodies were in contact.

I sighed again when I realized that the quick glance I had been meaning to throw at him (to make sure he was still asleep) had turned into a longing stare. His slumbering form was such a vision of peacefulness. Against better judgement I lifted my eyes slowly and let them drift over his face.

His generous dark lashes were resting on his sleep flushed cheeks. His hair was slightly bed-tousled over his forehead and an even amount of dark-blond facial hair had begun to show on his chin and cheeks... The unguarded, boyish expression on his face made him look almost angelic. But I knew better. He was no angel that's for sure.

My gaze continued to wander, following the chiseled line of his jawbone towards his sensitive mouth. I could not help but stare at his lips, admiring how nicely shaped they were; full, red, soft, almost feminine… "I wonder what they taste like?" The thought slipped out before I could stop myself…

"Uh oh, don't even go there Marian! Shake it off!! Close your eyes and go back to sleep." I groaned inwardly but did I listen to myself?… No, of course not!…do I ever? Instead my eyes continued downward to his sheet-covered heaving chest and out over the bare muscular arm that was still wrapped possessively around my waist. His hand looked so strong and powerful, yet I could imagine his touch being sooo gentle. I could imagine his hands on my body, touching me, in all the right places.

Now, that was a thought that did weird things to my nerve endings. Sure enough, there was that oh-so-familiar flush of heat between my thighs demanding release.

Suddenly overwhelmed with need, I shook my head sharply, in an attempt to erase certain intense images from my mind. But it was no use, before I was even aware of my own actions my hips involuntarily started to move back and forth. I looked down and saw a hand - my own hand - stroking the flesh between my legs.

I gasped as the realization hit me but I didn't still my fingers, instead I continued to squeeze my inner thigh muscles tightly to meet each stroke. OK, just so you know, I rarely ever do this unless I'm extremely horny and apparently this was one of those moments. See that's what happens when you go too long without sex…

I bit my bottom lip to keep myself silent. Lost in the sensations, I squeezed harder and rocked my hips against my hand the tiny bit that I could. "Was he still asleep? Was I moving too much, was I making too much noise?" My heart was pounding so loud I was sure he could hear it. In my mind it was no longer me touching myself, but him. I was starting to feel small ripples of intense pleasure going through my body. I opened my mouth and a silent moan escapes from between my lips. That's when it happened, that's when "Sleeping Beauty" started to stir…

"You want some help with that?" Needless to say the sound of Robin's voice, still raspy from sleep, scared the shit out of me. I jerked my eyes open to find his face only inches away, watching me, his blue eyes blinking away traces of sleepiness, a slight quirk in his lip as he noticed my expression of utter shock.

Gasping for air I stared at him in panic, the situation sinking in, causing my eyes to widen, the blood to rush from my head and my entire body to turn bright red. I couldn't believe he had caught me in the act!! I couldn't even look at him as I fumbled with my panties trying to pull them back up again.

Robin, now fully awake, seemed to enjoy my discomfort immensely. "Hey sweetheart, can you get a few shades redder? You don't quite glow in the dark yet!" He teased, barely containing his laughter.

In that one moment, my embarrassment turned into anger like the flare of a match inside of me. The nerve of him! With a noise of disgust, I roughly pushed him away from me, and sat up on the side of the bed, cursing his arrogance along with my own stupidity and lack of self-control.

Moving away from him, I was about to get off the bed when I felt him grab a hold of my arm. The quickness of his movement caught me off guard. I shivered beneath his touch but quickly played it off like I was repulsed by it.

"Get your hands off me!" There was enough steel in my voice to make any man jerk back in terror. Unfortunately though, it didn't have the effect I was hoping for. Sure Robin flinched but his grip on my arm remained firm. But at least he had the decency to look somewhat embarrassed.

"Err, umm, look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything… I'm just not used to wake up and find something.. ehh.. THAT exciting going on in my bed. It doesn't happen to me all that often, you know…" He paused and made an apologetic gesture with his free hand. "You can't really hold that against me, can you?!…" He added quickly.

Amazed by how he managed to apologize and anger me all in one breath, I shot him another angry glare.. Big mistake, the sight that met me instantly made my stomach flutter. His bed sheet had slid off and was now lying in folds around him, leaving his breast, arms, and most of his body bare. What's a girl to do? I stared at him, all of him.

I'd seen him half naked before, dripping wet wearing nothing but his swim trunks, hell I'd even helped him get undressed! But there was something different about it this time. Maybe it was because of the body contact -- his strong hand resting on my upper arm -- or maybe it was the scenery -- me alone in a bedroom with him -- …. I don't know… But one thing I knew for sure, I was rapidly loosing control over this whole bizarre situation.


	8. Like a snowball rolling downhill

**-Like a snowball rolling downhill-**

"I need to get the hell out of here…now!" The words flied from my mouth before I even realized I had thought them.

"Uhm, I mean, you are obviously feeling much better... so there is really no reason for me to stay here any longer..." I quickly added, reluctantly tearing my eyes away from the muscular chest, so openly displayed in front of me.

"You're right, I'm feeling much better now, thanks for asking and thank you for… uhm… taking such goood care of me."

The smug, mocking tone in his voice caused me to looked up, only to find his hungry blue eyes traveling all over me, pretty much in the same manner my own eyes had been exploring him just a few seconds ago.

Okay just so you know, I'm normally not that self-conscious about my looks… But HELLO, why on earth was he staring at me like that?!. Sure, I have some curves, but you really have to look for them. Let's face it, you wont be seeing me modeling underwear anytime soon.

Robin however didn't seem too be repulsed by what he saw, quite the opposite actually… I got the impression he liked what he saw because he sure took his time to take it all in. And I was, as always, completely under his spell.

"Earth to Marian….earth to Marian….Don't fall for this, don't let him affect you, you're stronger than that!" I scolded myself, but it was already too late. I could feel my nipples tightening painfully as his eyes reached my chest, greedily drinking in the sight of the outlines of my breasts. I could tell that my "response" had pleased him.

"Honey, are you sure you really wanna leave because it kinda looks like you are quite happy to be here." He smirked knowingly as his eyes finally rose to my face.

I had to admit he had a point there! Christ, this was getting more embarrassing by the second… Regretting not wearing a bra under my T-shirt, (there hadn't been time to put one on) I instinctively crossed my arms over my chest to hide my arousal and spoil his view.

His next move caught me by surprise to say the least. I was in the middle of mentally kicking myself for having nasty thoughts about a man I hardly knew and didn't even like, when he (without asking first or giving me any kind of warning) quickly leaned forward and kissed me. Yes, Robin the freaking gold medallist, kissed me!

And it wasn't "just-a -peck-on-the-cheek" kind of kiss. No, we are talking a major, "full-on-the-lips", open mouthed, tongue plunging, passionate kiss that made me experience things that I definitely shouldn't be comfortable feeling for a man who was more or less a stranger. Nevertheless a part of me enjoyed it, worse than that, I kissed him back….


	9. The Cat and Mouse Game

**-The Cat and Mouse Game-**

Somewhere, God himself only knows, I found the strength to push him away and break the kiss for much needed air.

"Are you out of your mind?! We cant be doing this!" I panted and tried to escape his fingers that were still touching my cheek.

"Sure, we can. We're adults, we can do anything we want." He replied in a drawn-out tone and stared at me with a gaze so intense I could actually feel it on my skin..

I opened my mouth to say something, to stop this madness before it got completely out of hand, but it was already to late, my protest was lost as Robin's lips came crashing down on mine again.

I resisted at first, really I did, but he licked and nipped on my lips until I couldn't take it anymore. Sighing softly I let his tongue invade my mouth in a hungry demanding kiss

Robin pulled away first, tilting his head back to gulp in some air. "You're not running for the door this time so I'm taking that as a good sign." He grinned, his chest still heaving slightly from exertion.

Flushed and equally out-of-breath I nervously flicked my tongue out and licked my swollen lips before I answered. "You're a good kisser, but that's beside the point. I'm still not gonna mess around with someone I've only known for a couple of hours."

"Aww come on, can't you make an exception. There is definitely chemistry between us, you can't deny that…"

"But you don't even know me!!" I protested and instinctively inched back on the bed, trying to put some distance between us.

"Ahaa, methinks the lady protest too much…. " He chuckled, and his voice dropped to a husky whisper. "…Or, like I said before I don't think you really wanna leave."

His last words made me shrink even farther away until I was dangerously close to the edge of the bed. I was only seconds away from falling when he took pity on me. Grabbing a hold of my shoulder he quickly pulled me back to the middle of the mattress again.

The whole situation was beginning to resemble a cat-and-mouse game. You know where the cat amuses itself by playing with its cornered prey, allowing the mouse just enough running room to give the illusion of an escape… then bam down comes the paw. And the cycle continues until the prey exhausts itself.

Just when I thought things couldn't get any more complicated I suddenly became aware of the unmistakable feel of an erection pulsing against my hip. Up till that point I had been convinced that he was just playing games with me. You know, getting back at me for bruising his ego or something. But now I didn't know what to think anymore. A million questions were racing through my head… Was he really aroused because of me?… Was he really finding me attractive?

The sensation made my head spin, and I started shivering from head to toe. Not just a little either… We are talking 7.0 on the richterscale. It was one of those body rocking kind of shivers that makes your heart race and every hair stand on end.

Robin took my silence for acceptance and quickly continued… "Ok, I'll be blunt, I'm attracted to you, and not to sound conceited or anything, but I'm pretty sure you feel the same way about me…" As if to empathize his words, he slowly slipped a hand in under my T-shirt. A mischievous grin lit up his face as he realized there was no bra to interfere with his touch.

"…I mean, we are both responsible adults with all what that means. Or at least I 'm.. You should know that, you've seen the condoms in my wallet… I can't see why we can't have some fun together."

There was way too much smugness in his voice for my liking. But the soft swirl of cold air across my bare stomach prevented me from replying. And the sensation of warm fingers slowly caressing up my ribs was effectively robbing me of my ability to complete coherent sentences…

I closed my eyes and swallowed hard trying desperately not to allow my body the reaction it wanted but my efforts were futile. I didn't mean to encourage him in any way, God knows I was in enough trouble as it was already, but my body evidently had a mind of its own. Before I knew it I was arching my back, pressing my breasts even further into his grasp, silently urging him to go on.

At that point my mind must have gone completely blank. That's the only way I can explain why I didn't protest when one of his hands started working on removing my T-shirt. Hey, I'm only human and he was definitely no amateur at this… To be honest, I don't think I have ever been this turned on before, not even in my wildest dreams.

Robin lowered his head again, kissing my lips, working his way down over my neck and collarbone, down to my chest. By the time his mouth had found my breasts, my raging hormones had won a crushing victory over both my fear and my common sense. And so, despite my will and my better judgement I could feel myself growing wet for him.


	10. Capitulation

AN:If you haven't figured it out, this chapter is all lemon, so those of you who's underage, or fragile of mind and heart, need to wait for the next chapter to read more…

**-Capitulation-**

Before I knew it my clothes were off and I was sprawled out all flushed and naked before him. I was in no way prepared for the intensive jolt of electricity that went through me as he ran his fingers up my legs and buried them into the soft thatch of curls between my thighs.

No longer bothering to hold it back, I let a deep moan escape my lips. Let's face it, I wanted him badly and it would have been foolish of me to keep pretending otherwise. I was putty in his hands, and we both knew it.

His caresses were feather light and I squirmed against his fingers as he continued to tease me. It was driving me insane! I wanted more… I needed more…I needed for him to stop tormenting me…

Which he did… eventually …But not until he had me begging for it. I swear it felt like an eternity before his smooth touch finally speeded up and became aggressive and rough … rough enough to send me into heaven and beyond.

When I could trust myself to breathe again, I opened my eyes and looked into his.

"Hey, beautiful. I was worried you had passed out!"

"Nah, just resting." I shook my head and leaned my forehead against his chest. He wrapped one arm around me and kissed my hair.

Unable to resist the urge to touch him I slowly let my fingers twirl in the sparse hair covering his chest. "Don't worry I'm not going to fall asleep on you."

He gasped in response as my nails "accidentally" scraped against his nipples and then he shivered... violently

"You liked that, eh? I'll have to remember that?!" I remarked with a wicked grin.

Smiling down at him I lowered my head to his chest and captured one of his erect pink nubs between my lips. I flicked my teeth lightly over the sensitive tip a couple of times and then I gently sucked it into my mouth. Robin threw his head back and groaned at the sensation.

Encouraged by his immediate reaction I let my mouth continue to work it's magic, licking and nibbling and occasionally even biting… Within no time I had him writhing and moaning beneath me.

"Do you have any idea what you are doing to me?" He grunted with a low husky voice as he a few minutes later grabbed me by the hair and none-too-gently pulled me up to face him.

I nodded and rested a palm on the flat muscles of his stomach for leverage as I leaned down until our lips touched. "…It's quite obvious…" I added in between kisses and let my hand slide down to grope his

bulge, witch had grown to an obscene size by now.

He was panting now, his face flushed and his pupils dilated. "Woha, shit Marian… If you keep this up I'm gonn- ahh…." His voice trailed off into a moan as I kept on fondling him through the soft fabric of his boxers.

"Relax, as much as I love watching you squirm, I don't want it to be over just yet." I grinned and reluctantly and let go off him.

"Besides, I want you to be inside me when you cum…" I whispered softly into the darkness surrounding us. Pulling away from him I rolled onto my back and parted my legs in a silent invitation for him...

Without a word Robin willingly followed my lead. His elbows sank deep into the mattress as he carefully positioned himself above me.

I moaned and writhed beneath him as he buried himself inside me. He paused and remained still for a moment, letting us both grow accustomed to the feeling of each other. It had been awhile for me, and even as wet as I was for him, it was still a tight fit.

The longer he stayed still the more torturing was the feel of him throbbing deep within me. The tension was overwhelming and my hands restlessly moved around to his back, down to his butt. Clutching his buttocks roughly I urged him to go on...

"Are you sure you're ready for this? God, you're so tight and I don't want to hurt you…" He whispered, withdrawing himself slightly, watching me intently as he did so.

"I'm ready…" I hissed and gritted my teeth at the friction he was causing. He was certainly blessed in the length and width department and I was actually in a bit of pain already, having only slept with one or two people, once or twice. But I still wanted more…. I might have been a bit out of practice but I was no virgin. I knew what to expect from this... And frankly, the thought of how sore I would be in the morning only made me quiver with anticipation.

A guttural groan welled in his throat as he gave up his last bit of self-control and drove himself fully into me with an intensity that made me bite my tongue. My head flew back and a low groan of pleasure near pain escaped my lips as Robin worked up a rhythm that eventually began to rock both the bed and our bodies. Each long slide out was pure torture and each deep penetration, pure ecstasy.


	11. Happy trail, hair way to heaven

**-Happy trail, hair way to heaven-**

The bright morning sun streaming through the cabin window (despite the blinds), was what woke me up the next morning. I rose to consciousness slowly, my mind and body still heavy with exhaustion. I yawned, and brought a hand to rub my face. The yawn turned to a frown as my fingers came in contact with a handful of soft curls. All that hair couldn't possible belong to me. Reluctantly I opened my eyes and raised my head ever so slightly from the pillow, only to find the owner of the blond tuft fast asleep in the bed next to me. "Good then it wasn't just a dream…" I smiled to myself as I carefully untangled my fingers from his forelock.

For a moment, I thought about waking him up, but in the end I decided against it. I had a feeling that things between us would turn awkward and weird the moment he woke up and I didn't want to have to deal with that just yet.

So instead I snuggling up closer against him and cautiously rested my head against his shoulder. A happy contented sigh escaped my lips… I found myself oddly at peace in his arms, which seemed more than a little strange considering I had only known him a few hours but it also felt sooo right…

"Now you're being silly Marian…It's not as though you're madly in love with the guy. It's just sex, nothing else." I reasoned with myself but it wasn't working… Deep inside knew (and feared) that it was a little more to it then just physical attraction…I actually kind of liked him, not just the sex, not just his body, but HIM. I mean I hadn't known him long enough to have a crush on him or anything, but somewhere along the night this annoying dark blond athlete had come to genuinely interest me.

To my surprise he had managed to shrug off all the labels I had been trying to put on him. He wasn't nearly as self absorbed, or stuck up as I first had thought. In fact, he had turned out to be pretty normal, an ordinary person with good sides and bad sides just like everyone else… The only catch was that I didn't know him well enough to have everything about him - his qualities and shortcomings - all figured out yet. Which pretty much was the main issue here… How could I feel so comfortable so quickly around someone I hardly knew?

I had honestly never experienced anything remotely like this before. I couldn't even remember the last time I had felt so uninhibited with a man. But then again pretty much everything that had happened onboard this cruise ship had been so out of character for me in so many ways.

I mean as old fashioned as it may sound, casual sex and one-nigh stands had never really been my thing! I didn't even believe in having sex without being in love and having a solid relationship or at least the hint of a possible relationship…. But still here I was.. laying naked in bed (with an equally naked stranger), after a night of the wildest lovemaking I have ever experienced. Could it get any more casual than that?!!

Not that I had any regrets though, it had been a truly amazing experience. Just thinking about the previous night's activities brought a silly grin to my face.

I sighed heavily again and then instantly regretted it as the sound made Robin stir and roll over onto his back. His eyes fluttered open and with a mighty groan he started stretching his arms out wide, accidentally knocking my head with his elbow in the process.

"Ouch!… Well good morning to you too!" I hissed rubbing my aching scalp.

"Aargh, Sorry, I'm not fully awake yet…"A husky morning voice boomed from beside me. Seconds later I felt fingers stroking my hair and a soft kiss gently being placed on the tiny bump already forming on the side of my head. "Feeling better now?" he inquired, scooting closer to me on the bed until he was spooning me from behind.

Stunned (and pleasantly surprised) by his actions I laughed nervously in reply. This was so not the scenario I had envisioned for this somewhat awkward moment. For some reason he didn't seem the least bit surprised, or even the slightest embarrassed, waking up finding me here. A bit disoriented maybe but not surprised… So far he hadn't made any attempt to kick me out of the bed or in any other way hinted that my presence wasn't wanted. Except for that elbow thing maybe… But all together, I would say that things were going much smoother than I had anticipated.

"What are you laughing at? Did I miss something?" Robin suddenly asked interrupting my train of thoughts. His warm breath on my neck was causing goosebumps to appear on my arms and a flutter to erupt in my stomach.

"N-nah …It's just ehm…. Well, that's the second time you scared me half to death like that, waking up without a sound or any kind of warning…."

"Sorry, I don't do it on purpose you know…Hey, you weren't doing anything nasty this time around now were you?"

"What, NO!!!" I answered quickly, maybe a little too quickly.

"And why am I finding that hard to believe? He asked, eyeing my flushed face suspiciously.

"Hey, for your information these hands have been on the cover the entire time since I woke up!" I pointed out and raised my arms in a defensive gesture.

"Your hands were on the cover but your mind was in the gutter… "He chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "You woke me up for sex…Come on why don't you just admi--" He was cut off when I smacked a pillow in his face.

"Ouch, what was that for?!"

"Do you really need to ask?!" I retorted and threateningly raised the pillow again.

"Now, now, don't be that way…" He said and grabbed a hold of my stuffed "weapon" before I could use it on him a second time. "We both know you looove it when I tease you…" He added and he pulled me in for a tight embrace.

"Uhm Robin speaking of teasing… If I'm not mistaken, there is something hard poking me…" I couldn't help but point out as I squirmed in his arms.

"There is? Hm… That's odd…I wonder what that could be?" Robin chuckled and rubbed his groin against my hip. "I think I have a pretty good idea!" I said biting my lip trying hard not to laugh. "But maybe I should take a look just to make sure…" I suggested as I lifted the sheet covering his lower body.

"Aha I knew it!" Robin exclaimed happily, shaking his head with a grin. "You really did wake me up for sex!!"

"Is that a complaint I hear? Because if it is, I could easily find someone else to play with!" I responded and dropped the sheet over him again.

"No no, carry on, by all means…. I have no objections. Whatever you are planing on doing is fine by me."

"Well then Robin, consider this your lucky day because I'm about to go down on you…" I said and watched him intently as I scooted down on the bed.

"WOHA…Wait a minute… You know you don't have to do anything like that, right?" He gulped sounding almost nervous.

"Yes...I know." I nodded and licked my lips in a very suggestive manner. "…But I really want to." A sly smile slowly spreading over my face.

A small groan escaped his lips, but then he seemed to pull himself together again. "Look, I appreciate the offer and all but this really isn't necessary… I mean we can always skip this part and go straight for a repeat performance of last night instead!!" He suggested, wriggling his eyebrows at me.

"Oh, I would love that, but right now I don't think that is such a good idea… I'm a bit...ehm, sore." I confessed and dropped my eyes, hoping I wouldn't have to explain things further. "You know, down there." I added and felt my face turn all hot and red…again… *Sigh.* I must have blushed more times the last 24 hours than I ever had in my entire life…

"Oh…"Robin's eyes widened in comprehension "I'm sorry, I was a little.. rough on you, weren't I? I didn't mean t-…"

His apology was cut off when my fingers pressed against his lips. "Don't apologize, Robin. It degrades the whole experience" I explained with a frown. Leaning into his chest I placed a few soft kisses, at approximately the spot where his heart was located. "Last night was great, I don't have any regrets and neither should you."

"So you're not upset with me then?" Robin asked and lightly brushed a hand across my cheek.

I pulled my face back and looked up at him like he'd lost his mind. "Am I upset with you for making love to me until I can't walk? For making me feel sexy and wanted? Um...NO!. Trust me Robin, I'm definitely not upset with you!"

"So everything is okay?" He asked still not sounding totally convinced.  
"Yeah, I'm fine, really… I'm just a little sore with all the exercise. I just haven't done this in a while that's all… It'll pass soon enough, don't worry." I said and gave him a reassuring smile.

"And now that we have all that sorted out... Let's get back to business… "I winked at Robin and then let my hands once again make contact with the warm flesh of his stomach. My lips touched his belly button and a slight shudder passed through his body.

"Okay, okay if this is something you REALLY want to do, then who am I to disagree." Robin laughed, finally giving in to the sensations.

Locking up at his face I made sure I had eye contact before I ran my tongue over my lips to get them as wet as possible. A faint whimper escaped his throat as I let my mouth follow the line of hair that arrowed down to his groin.. But before I was able to make my next move we were interrupted by a sharp knock at the door.

"Robin are you in there?" A female voice called out. Needless to say my heart stopped in my chest and I froze holding my breath. Whoever was at the door didn't bother to wait for an answer because seconds later the door was pushed open and a loud "Oh my God " echoed through the cabin.

"Djaq, I swear you have the worst timing ever!" Robin gritted between his clenched teeth as he with somewhat shaky hand fumbled with the bed bedclothes. "For heavens sake close the door will ya!…"

His harsh strained voice was what finally made me snap out off the shocked state I had been in…. "God this is sooo embarrassing!" I groaned and buried my now beet-red face in on one of the pillows.

"You're telling me…I will never live this one down. Damn, I'm 27 years old, one would think I should be allowed to have a SEXLIFE." Robin responded with a grunt and turned to face the surprise visitor by the door.

"Hey, I'm the one traumatized here. You just gave me a mental image I sooo could have lived without…" The woman going by the name Djaq impatiently snapped back at him.

"What are you still doing here I thought I told you to leave?! Robin sighed heavily.

"I'm on my way… Look, I'm really sorry about this! I had no idea… I knocked but… Hm, anyway I came to remind you that you have a conference call scheduled for nine a clock." Djaq announced studying her watch. "That gives you less than 20 minuets to get your shit together…"

"Alright, alright, thanks for letting me know. Now will you please leave and give us some privacy." Robin whined sounding more than a little irritated.

There were a few seconds of intense silence and then with a loud disapproving grunt the intruder whirled around and finally stomped out of the cabin.


	12. Could this be goodbye!

**-Could this be goodbye?!-**

"Charming...I thought you said you didn't have a girlfriend..." I commented as I heard the door slam shut.

"Ha, ha...Very funny!... No *that* my dear, was Djaq, my  physiotherapists, masseuse, PA and close friend." Robin explained as he climbed out of bed to lock the door.

"Somehow friendly is not the first adjective that comes to mind." I muttered under my breath as I watched a very nude Robin hurriedly move about the room. "...and whoa HELLO, nice ass!" I silently added to myself at the sight of his naked rear-end.

"Hey, I heard that!" Robin snapped back at me and for a moment there I thought for sure he was inside my head reading my mind. But when he spoke again it was pretty clear that he was still talking about his friend.

"Don't be so hard on her. She was just doing her job." He grunted as he leaned over the bed, trying to retrieve his boxers from the bedpost behind me.

"Uhm if you say so.... " I agreed almost automatically, my mind still elsewhere. Let's just say my concentrating went out the window the moment I noticed he was still semi-aroused.

"I know she tends to be a bit nosy, but she is generally nice to be around... And she is a darn good masseuse. I'll probably have to give her a raise after this though.... It must have been quite a shock walking in on us like that!"

"Oh, I don't know about that Robin... Maybe she liked what she saw?!... I mean, she was in no hurry to leave the room."

"Hey now, Djaq is engaged, practically married to one of my closest friends, I'm sure she wasn't even looking. And even if she was, I know for a fact that she doesn't think of me that way. But it's quite a turn on to see you get all jealous and possessive over me, sweetheart." He teased with a smirk as he struggled with his balance, trying to get his jeans on.

"You're delusional but... uhm... whatever floats your boat... Speaking of which...Pants to small there Robin?!" I bit back, innocently batting my eyelashes at him.

"Ugh yeah, I don't remember them being this tight... I can't even zip them up..."

"Do you want me to help you. We could always finish what we started before we got interrupted." I suggested with a light touch on his arm.

"No, that's what got me in trouble in the first place... Besides, there isn't enough time. But I like the way you think, Marian..." He chuckled as he proceeded to get dressed.

Fully clothed we said our goodbyes in the hallway outside his door a few minutes later. It was kind of awkward. Too public, with too many people around... Robin however acted really sweet and did his best to make me forget about the bystanders. And he was successful... His kisses have hypnotic qualities what else can I say!?

Anyway, before we parted ways, he promised he would come looking for me as soon as the conference call was over. But I wasn't sure I believed him. I mean, how was he suppose to find me again when he didn't even bother to ask for my phone number. Besides it was already painfully obvious that a girl like me (troubled and neurotic) was sooo not what he needed in his life right now. I mean look at him, handsome, successful and popular - completely different from me. I could never fit into his world nor he in mine and we both knew it... So when I turned to walk away I was half expecting never to hear from him again.... AND I was okay with it...I wasn't upset and I wasn't sad. I was accepting it... I was walking away...

Still I couldn't resist stealing one last glance a glance over my shoulder... Big mistake! His expression appeared innocent but his smile was full of mischief and his eyes...Jesus, they were hot! Somehow, he managed to look cute as hell, even with his clothes all rumpled, his hair askew, and 48 hours worth of stubble shadowing his face. ...

He was just way too SEXY for his own good!! How could I have missed all that sexiness when I first laid eyes on him! Shaking my head in disbelieve I reluctantly tore my eyes away from him and started following the path that would lead me back to my own cabin.


	13. Trouble in Paradise

AN:I wasn't planning on updating just yet, (visiting my parents over the weekend) but I felt oddly inspired tonight… and I've been getting some really nice reviews lately so I figured I'd give you all a little something for Halloween.

I figure there are at least three or four chapters left after this.

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**-Trouble in Paradise-**

The firm but eager knock on my cabin door some hour later was unexpected to say the least... It startled me enough to drop the sweater I had been folding. Smiling to myself I picked it up and tossed it on the suitcase as I went to the door. I had a feeling this surprise was going to turn out to be a pleasant one...

My suspicion was confirmed as I opened it and saw Robin leaning against the doorframe. OK, I admit it, a tiny, little part of me had been secretly hoping for him to make good on his promise... But now that he was standing there on my doorstep I wasn't quite sure what to make of it...

"Are you going to let me in anytime soon _or_ am I just going to have to stand here in the hallway all day?"

Realizing that I had been staring at him a little too long, I came out of my reverie in a flash. "Oh, sorry. Come on in." I offered with a weak smile, stepping back to give him enough room to enter.

"Thank you." He replied and pressed a gentle kiss on my cheek as he walked past me.

I tried not to react to his closeness, but it was hard, especially when he smelled so heavenly; freshly showered with just a hint of a nice yet subtle cologne. Gone was the 'just rolled out of bed' look. He had shaved and changed clothes. His hair was still damp and hung in unruly bangs over his forehead.

Without stopping to consider my actions, I reached out to touch one of the adorable curls at the nape of his neck. I couldn't help myself.... Encouraged by my innocent little gesture, Robin's friendly peck on the cheek quickly turned into a full-blown kiss on the lips.

"Mmmm, you taste good." He murmured as we finally parted. "Oh, that reminds me.... Are you hungry? I thought we could grab some breakfast together... and then maybe find some quite place to.. uhm… you know, talk… How does that sound?!

"Sounds great! I'm starving.... But you have to help me finish packing first." I sighed and gestured towards my bulging suitcase by the bed.

"Sure, what do you want me to do?

"Well, I think I might have overdone it a little with all the souvenirs I bought and now I can't seem to get my bag shut. So if you could get your sexy butt over here it would be greatly appreciated." I suggested and patted on the top of the bag.

"What! You want ME to sit on it? Isn't that suppose to be your job?!" He asked with a smirk.

"Hey watch it Mr... Are you implying that I weigh more than you?" I replied and scowled at the amused look on his face.

"No no noo, only that I'm a lot stronger than you." He laughed and flexed his muscles in a series of bodybuilding poses.

"Ok, hot stuff, I believe you… Let's get this over with, shall we? I suggested and plopped down on the suitcase.

Much pushing, grunting and swearing later and the suitcase was still not completely zipped up. But thanks Robin and his brilliant ideas, there was now a belt tied around it to keep it from falling open..

"Tired already MacGyver?! I have three more bags that could use your magic touch." I teased as I saw him wipe his forehead.

"THREE more! Woman how much more luggage do you have!!" He complained loudly, eyeing the backpacker and carryon bag already lined up by the cabin door.

"Stop whining... It's just my laptop, a sleeping bag and a few other things…. They are in the drawers under the bed. It would really save us some time if you could you get them out for me, while I go pack my toilet bag." I suggested sweetly.

I heard him muttered something about throwing a few things overboard but I couldn't quite make out what he was saying and maybe that was for the best... Laughing at his lame protests I headed for the bathroom.

I was in the middle of collecting my toiletries when I suddenly heard a loud crash and then something sounding almost like swearing.

"UGH -I hope he didn't drop anything too important... " I sighed to myself as I put toothbrush away.

It wasn't until several seconds later realization hit me... "Hey wait a minute... MY CAMERAS... How could I forget!" Resisting the urge to slap my forehead I quickly left the bathroom and headed in the direction from which the alarming crashing sound had come. But it was already too late...

The first thing I saw as I entered the room was Robin on his knees hovering over a very familiar black padded leather bag. The closer I came the more worried I got. The crash had left the camera bag wide open with most of its contents scattered all over the floor. But what scared me the most, though, was the manila envelope I spotted in his hand. The moment I saw it, I knew I was in for some serious trouble...

As if he knew what I was thinking; he got to his feet and turned around to face me.

"What the hell is this?" He inquired, obviously referring to the black and white photos sticking out of the envelope. Anger flared in his eyes, tightening his voice as he spoke. I could only imagine what thoughts were coursing through his mind. He wasn't finding this amusing, that's for sure...

"Uh..." I stuttered as I racked my brain for an explanation but came up blank.

"If you say 'How did those get there?' I swear to God..." He trailed off, his eyes darkening with annoyance.

"No, you're right, those are mine. I took them." I confessed and lowered my gaze, unable to look him in the eyes. "But I had really good reaso-"

"I bet you did... " He interrupted sharply. "Come on, these are no amateur photos that's for sure!" He stated knowingly, and took a few slow provocative steps towards me.

The loudness of his voice made me flinch and I leaped backwards by instinct, but as I did so my back hit something cool and hard - the wall.

"Don't even try to deny it..." He growled and roughly shoved me back against the door post. "I have seen the press ID in your camera bag... The only remaining question is who you work for!?" He demanded, practically shaking me as he spoke.

"No one. Geeez, relax, wasn't planning on selling anything, if that's what you thought... Those photos are for my sister, she's a fan, her birthday is coming up.... But I already told you about that, remember?!" I replied nervously, my words stumbling over each other as I tried to play it off like I didn't realize what the big deal was...

"Bullshit! Is that the best you can do? I'm not buying it, Marian!! Come on, I have seen your equipment..." He paused and dropped his eyes to the floor to give the black leather bag a meaningful glance before he took a deep breath and continued.

"There is still film in at least one of your cameras... What's on it?..." He asked, his eyes growing wide as the possibilities dawned on him. "Did you bring a camera into my cabin? I bet you took pictures of me while I was sick...or even worse, while I was sleeping... Wait, you took pictures of me nude, didn't you?!"

Moving fast, I got the satisfaction of seeing him flinch momentarily as my hand landed on his cheek with a loud slap.

"Is that what you think? That I slept with you to get a photo-scoop?! That's like comparing me with a prostitute!" I exclaimed in a somewhat shaky voice as I rubbed my now aching palm against the denim of my jeans.

"You said it Marian, not me... You stalked me and took pictures of me without my permission... That's just as much of a crime as prostitution is. You're lucky I haven't called the cops on you already. " He pointed out coldly.

"Look, I know what I have done, all right.... I invaded your privacy in the worst possible way but believe me I had go-.."

"..good REASONS... Yes, I know, you keep repeating that.... If they are so good, then how come I haven't heard them yet?!....Huh?? Robin asked, cutting me short again.

"Gosh, I don't know, maybe it's because you're hurting me." I bit back, pointedly glancing down to where his fingers were biting into my skin, bruising my shoulder.

This apparently snapped Robin back into awareness of what he was doing because he immediately pulled his hand back as if he had burned himself.

"Okay, okay, I'll take my hands off you. It's not like I want to touch you anyway. But I'm not leaving until I get some answers! I want the truth this time, no more lies, Marian." He demanded with a stern look on his face.

"Fine Robin, if you want to know why I did it, then I suggest you take another good look at the pictures.... all of them this time... There are a few photos of my sister in there that you seem to have missed." I said, nodding towards the envelope he was still clutching in his hand.

"I'll give you a hint, she is the pale, skinny, bald girl in the hospital bed - not exactly the look of a normal happy carefree teenage girl. She's sick, with cancer... The truth is I just wanted to do something nice for her for her birthday. She thinks the world of you… and for a while there I was willing to agree with her. But not anymore... Because you, Robin Locksley, are nothing but a self-centered, arrogant a**hole."

My last words came out as harsh sobs, flowing from a deep pain and they echoed like a clap of thunder in the room. Unshed tears burned in my throat and I felt like I couldn't breath. Pushing myself away from him I made a mad dash for the door and took off like a world-class sprinter through the semi crowded hallway.

I didn't get far, though…. First off, I don't exactly have the physique of an athlete and secondly, I was an emotional wreck. My heart was pounding like crazy, tears were blurring my vision, and my legs were shaking badly… So badly in fact that I barely made it down the stairs to the next deck before my knees gave out and I crumpled to the floor in a weeping heap…


	14. Time to get the head out of the sand

AN: Warning:This chapter is meant to be a tearjerker folks, so bring out those tissues.*sniffle*

* * *

**-Time to get the head out of the sand-**

I don't like to cry in front of people because to me it shows weakness and I don't like to show that I can be weak. It's just a trait I have. But at this point I didn't have much choice… It was like a dam had been broken, all the emotions I had been holding back for weeks came pouring out... Hot tears were streaming freely down my cheeks as I slumped to the floor in a quivering heap

And that was how Robin found me in -collapsed on the bottom step of the stairs between the ninth and tenth decks, bawling like a baby….

I was so caught up in my anguish, I didn't even hear him approach until he stopped in front of me and cleared his throat. I yelped in surprise but I didn't turn to face him. Instead I put my head in my hands and hunched over so that my long hair was hiding my red rimmed eyes.

"I'm sorry Marian… " He began awkwardly as he moved closer. " I had no idea…" He trailed off and sat down on the stair next to me. "Look, my temper got the best of me. I'm sorry for all the shouting. I should have kept my cool, I know... But you must have known those pictures were going to make me upset, right Marian?!" He paused, waiting for an answer that never came.

"Hey, I'm trying to apologize here… The least you can do is look at me!" He demanded softly and nudged my arm for attention. I didn't react at first, but after a second or two of silence I slowly turned towards him and raised my head.

If Robin was surprised to see the state my tear stricken face was in, he didn't show it. Instead he opened his arms wide for me and I sank into them willingly.

"Shh... I'm sorry…Please Don't cry…" He said, pulling me to him and stroking my hair soothingly.

Laying my head on his chest I let out a deep shaky breath and tried my best to get my tears under control, developing hiccups along the way.

When my sobs finally subsided, Robin pushed me away from him slightly and gently wiped the remaining tears from my cheeks..

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked in a soft voice. "If you'd rather I leave, I'd understand. I know I screwed up but if you give me the chance, I'll make it up to you. If you ever need an ear, a shoulder a friend I'll be there for you. I promise."

I groaned inwardly at his words. Damn him, why did he have to say things like that? Why did he have to be so sweet and understanding? I wasn't helping at all, it only made me feel guilty…

Don't get me wrong, I really wished I could take him up on his offer. God only knows how badly I needed to vent and get things of my chest. But the rock solid wall I had built up around myself the last couple of months made it really hard for me to open up to him (or anybody). And the fact that we were still sitting in a public hallway didn't help much either. No matter how sweet his words were or how comforting his arms felt around me, it just didn't feel right to burden him with any of my problems. Not after all the sh*t I had put him through…

Or so I thought…. But then Robin looked at me with those blue hypnotic eyes of his and suddenly I felt like I was ready to talk to him about anything and everything….

Which is exactly what I ended up doing. Despite my intentions, the words came tumbling out before I could stop myself. And once I got started I figured "hey, why leave anything out"… Poor Robin had to listen to my entire life story (from my days as a shy chubby kid in kindergarten to my slightly more eventful teenage years). But more importantly, after a little coaxing on Robin's part, I finally did tell him the sad truth about the illness that was slowly but surely consuming my family.

My baby sister, Nicole, was only 6 years old when she was first diagnosed with leukemia, cancer in the blood stream and had to go through several rounds of radiation and chemotherapy. Needless to say it was rough on her… But in the end the treatment was successful and her future was looking promising. We really thought she was going to be all right…. But then, last fall, her cancer reoccurred after three years of remission.

On reaching this part of my story, my voice began to tremble. Tears were threatening spill from my eyes (again) as they so often did when my thoughts went to Nicole.

Because not only was my sister sick again, but this time her cancer was progressing rapidly and no treatment seemed to be helping. She had been in hospital for quit some time now and the only thing left to try was a bone marrow transplantation, but unfortunately we didn't have a donor yet, none of our living relatives had the same blood type as Nicole.

It was a race against time and even with a perfect donor match, the rest of the procedure is said to be very risky. She would have to undergo intensive treatment to kill off her own bad bone marrow before getting a transplant. So if the transplant wasn't successful, there would be absolutely no chance of survival…

Of course at this point I was crying again but Robin did what he could to comfort me, squeezing my hand, stoking my hair….

"I'm really sorry about your sister … I don't know what to say…. " He whispered quietly while gently rubbing my back. "I'm no doctor and I don't want to give you false hope… But don't give up okay?! Miracles DO happen… all the time." He hugged me tighter and I threw my arms around his neck and buried my face in his chest.

He was right, God could still have a miracle planned for my sister…. but it was time for me to face reality…. to face all the possible scenarios, even the scary ones. Deep down I had known for quite some time now that we were running out of time. My baby sister was dying and there was nothing I could do to change that. But instead of dealing with it I had kept my head in the sand about it. Hence all the repressed emotions and tears….

I am and have always been incredibly close to my sister, and seeing her this sick (again) was not easy. Of course I wanted to support her and be there for her, but in the same time, it was tearing my heart out to see her in pain.

I guess that's why I had been burying myself in work lately. Hell, why not, I had the perfect excuse for it. Our financial situation demanded that I took every extra assignment I could get to pay the hospital bills… I didn't even have to feel guilty about it… It was an easy getaway… Or at least it had been until Robin came into the picture…

I'm not sure where this strange obsession with my sister's birthday came from... I suspect it might have something to do with the possibilities of this being her last … ever… But that didn't exactly explain my weird behavior (around Robin and in general). I guess got so caught up in trying to bring home the perfect gift that I lost all sense of what was right and wrong… And as much as I wished I could blame this whole mess on temporary insanity, the truth was that I had been emotional unstable for quite some time now... A walking time-bomb waiting to expl-….

"Can I come with you?"

The sudden question startled me out of my deep thoughts…A welcome interruption I suppose but he might as well have been speaking Latin because I had no ideá what he was asking.

"What do you m- m- mean?!" I stuttered , my voice shaky from all the crying.

"To the hospital, to meet your sister. You're going straight over there, as soon as we dock, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am... But don't you have other plans?" I answered, still more then a little confused.

"No, I have a sponsor event tonight but I think I can reschedule… You said she is a fan, so I just figured, you know…for her "big day"… But if you think it's a bad idea…" He trailed off with a bit of an embarrassed look on his face.

"Ohh, you meant as a surprise for her birthday…Aww, that's so sweet of you. Of course you can come with me, she'd be thrilled to see you." I nodded slowly and tried my best to ignore the tears gathering in my eyes again… Robin must have noticed my struggle to get my emotions back under control again because he quickly got to his feet and offered me a hand to help me up.

"Well then, it's a deal. Uhm… I'm really glad we had this talk and all but I have a feeling we're done here… Right?!… And to tell you the truth I'm starving…Do you think we can go get that breakfast I promised you?" He suggested in an obvious effort to distract me.

"Geez, trust a male, to think with his stomach…"I muttered to myself as I took his hand and allowed myself to be dragged down the hallway.

I can't say I was hungry but I had a feeling that he might be right. Maybe a little breakfast would do my spirit some good.

Actually I was kind of hoping that Robin was right about a whole lot of things…Especially what he had said about miracles…For all the obvious reasons…


	15. Ulterior motives

AN: Ok, so I have officially screwed up the timeline with this chapter. It was supposed to be a 48 hours cruise but I have shortened it to make it work with what I've planned for the last two chapters.

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**-Ulterior motives-**  
London, 1 day, 6 hours and 23 minutes after arriving back on mainland

"I still can't believe you did this!" I shouted over my shoulder as Robin and I made our way down the center aisle of the Movie Theater.

"Did what?! No, wait don't answer that… Look, if this is about that whole milkshake thing, it was an accident! I swear!" He threw back at me and held up both hands in a gesture of mock innocence.

"Accident my ass!" I protested loudly and glanced pointedly at the chocolate stains on the front of my top. "You knew perfectly well how ticklish I am…" I exclaimed and shoved him (not-so-gently) towards the first pair of empty seats I could find.

"Hey now, relax… If it makes you feel any better I'll pay for the dry cleaning okay?!"

"That's more like it… But seriously Robin, I still can't believe you did this….And I'm not talking about you covering me in milkshake. What I meant was, I still can't believe you rented an entire Movie Theater!"

"Oooh that…Uhm, it was nothing, really…" He said with a shrug. "Someone did it for me on one of my birthdays…. And well I just thought it would be a… uhm… nice idea for Nicole… You know, to get her out of that hospital bed on her birthday…"

His last words were almost completely drowned out by a sudden eruption of noise. Apparently the teenagers in the first row had chosen that exact moment to start a full-fledged candy fight complete with screaming, laughing and flying chocolate bars.

"Not to sound ungrateful or anything but don't you think you overdid it a bit Robin?!… I mean inviting all her classmates… What were you thinking! Now we're stuck in room full of teenagers…" I chuckled and ducked as a half-empty bucket of popcorn came sailing through the air.

"Yeah, I have a feeling we are going to be exhausted before this day is over. But it's all worth it though. I mean look at the smile on her face… " He said, gesturing towards Nicole who was sitting a few rows ahead of us.

My heart broke at the sight of my sister. By the looks of things she was having a great time hanging out with her friends. Her small frame and fragile appearance made her look a lot younger than the rest of the kids. But her baggy clothes and the bandana she was wearing served their purposes well hiding not only her lack of hair but also the extent of her abnormal weight loss. You could still tell she was ill but her condition didn't look too serious.

A nurse had been hired to come with us and there was an oxygen tank and a wheelchair waiting in the back of the room in case of an emergency. But other than that this day had felt almost like a *normal* birthday, with guests, presents and a cake. And I knew exactly who I had to thank for it… I just didn't know how to do it…Because every time I tried to bring the subject up he just brushed it off….

"You don't owe me anything. No one is keeping score here. I'm just glad I could help." He repeated over and over again, like a broken record. "Shhh, let's drop this now..." He said with a relieved sigh as the commercials ended and the room vent dark.. "The movie is starting and you know what that means don't you?" He asked and placed his hand over mine at the armrest between us.

"We'll be kicked out if we keep talking?!" I suggested as I slumped back in my seat and turned my attention to the screen.

"Yeah, probably but that's not it." He laughed and I could feel his hand drift from the armrest to my knee before he continued. "It means I will have you all to myself for the first time all day."

"Uhm… Robin, I hate to burst your bubble but there are still other people in this room... Just because it's dark and you can't see them that well does not mean they cease to exist, you know…"

"I know, I know…. but think about it. It's loud and it's dark in here and I bet no one will notice if we sneak out.." …" As if to empathize his words, he let his fingers crawl up towards my thigh as he spoke.

"Ohhh, I like the way you think." I smirked and crossed my legs, trapping his hand between them." But what about the kids we can't just leave them."

"They'll be fine. Let the nurse take care of them she's trained to watch over people." He said as he tried to free his hand.

His squirming fingers kept tickling me, in a not so unpleasant way.

"Someone really is in a wild mood today, huh?" I giggled.

"Yeah, I'm wild…Wild about you baby. Come on now, let's get out of here…" He grinned and pulled me in for a quick kiss.

And that kiss, that precise moment, as I felt his lips brush against my lips, is the last time I remember being completely and utterly happy.


	16. One chapter ends another one begins

Author's note: Yes this is the final chapter for this fic, yes I am considering writing a sequel and thus I fear there is going to be an open ending! Thank you for reading my fic. I've been reading the comments as I have posted the chapters and I have enjoyed seeing all your kind words.

**-One chapter ends another one begins-**

I'm not a fatalist but I have reason to suspect that some of the more recent events in my life might have been predestined to happen. You know, predestined as in more than just coincidence… Because that's the only way I can explain all the crazy things that have happened…Whether it is karma, destiny or just God playing games on me I do not know. But what I do know is that my life has changed and that things will never be the same again….

Three months have passed since that afternoon at the Movie Theater but I still remember every second of it clearly. That day will always have a very special place in my heart. Manly because of the smile on my sisters face but also because it represents one of those rare occasions of quality time spent with Robin. Uhm, if you can call making out in a public bathroom quality time, that is…

Anyway, a lot has happened since then. Unfortunately though I'm not talking about positive changes here… My sister only made it for 5 more weeks. Her immune system had been severely compromised by chemotherapy and she died of pneumonia, brought on by complications of her treatment.

It's still hard to talk about it or even think about it. Nothing hurts as bad as watching someone you love slowly fade away before your eyes. But at least she went peacefully in her sleep and for that I will forever be grateful.

Sometimes I feel like my life has lost all meaning. Sometimes, though, I feel relieved because I know my sister is in a better place now where she will feel no more pain. That's what keeps me going. That's what I have to believe, or else I would go insane…

It's funny though, how when one chapter ends another one begins. Okay maybe funny isn't the right word for it… But if there is one thing I have learned over the last few months it is this: You cannot harness fate. Whatever is meant to happen will happen, no matter what you do. Life is unpredictable that way, it always has something unexpected in store for you….

Take Robin for example, he has been a tremendous support for me throughout this whole ordeal and fate truly sent him my way when I needed him the most. He is a wonderful compassionate, caring, loving and helpful man. He can also be downright annoying, but I guess that's a completely different story…

As for whether or not we have a future together…hmmm… well let's just say it still remains to be seen. Our relationship is strained at best right now... I wouldn't say it's doomed to fail, but we are two very different individuals, with very different interests and perspectives, with all what that means…

But that's okay, everything happens for a reason…I'm beginning to see that now…

Ever heard of the Butterfly Effect? It's this theory based on the idea that the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil can create an air current that grows into a hurricane months later in Texas… I always thought of it as just another crazy theory trying to explain the unexplainable. But now it suddenly makes sense… Well, sort of anyway…

Every action has a consequence. Every non-action has a consequence. It's as simple as that…

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's time to accept that my slightly upset stomach could very well have something to do with the three unused strawberry flavored glow-in-the-dark condoms that Robin, to my knowledge, still carries around in his wallet.

Yes, it's true, can you believe it?! He was bragging about having them but in the end he failed to remember how to use them… I suppose it partly my fault too. I mean, I'm a grown, well-educated, fertile woman, I should have known better… I should never have let it happen…

But I DID and now it's time to deal with the consequences, whatever they may be. I certainly got all the signs, if you know what I mean. But most of them could also be stress related considering everything that has been going on around me lately. That's why I have an appointment booked for this afternoon to find out fore sure.

I'm not going to speculate. I'll wait and see how it goes and take it from there.

One chapter ends, another one begins….

It's not fair but that's life, don't you just love it…

The End


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